November 25, 2008

Looking at the Future of Snow Sports

Here is a brief recap of the 2008 NSAA Convention and Trade Show. Keep in mind that this event was held prior to the November election of Barack Obama. You'll notice some things to keep in mind with regards to the youth multicultural market.

Keynote: The New Mainstream

Guy Garcia, author of “The New Mainstream,” described the current state
of multicultural America. He summarized it in his description of the
“creative class,” the one in four Americans who embrace other cultures,
gravitate to dynamic industries and cities, and have high levels of
education and income. These are the best customers of the future, and
they are mashing, fusing, and blending a new culture in which everyone
is included and still an individual, and any persona is possible. How
else can you describe a world in which the top rap artist is white, and
the best golfer is black, Garcia said. The point: Hispanics (and
others) want to be part of the whole, while at the same time
recognizing that everyone is, in fact, different. The appropriate
metaphor for America is no longer the melting pot, but the blender.

And if you were wondering if you get a ROI when investing in the growing Latino youth market check out this data that was revealed at the event.

Snowsports as a Youth Development Tool

This session dove into the advantages of hosting an SOS Outreach
program. RRC's Nate Fristoe had some compelling numbers to prove the
point. For example, 61 percent of the program's participants said they
would continue to slide over the next 5 to 10 years. Fifty-two percent
have introduced friends, and 34 percent have brought family members on
board. When it comes to purchasing, 57 percent of SOS participants
purchased apparel within a year of trying the sport, and 19 percent
bought equipment. Further studies showed that their long-term
conversion rate is 25 percent, well above the national average of 15
percent.